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Over many years, the descendants of President Garfield spoke proudly about his remarkable life but seldom discussed his untimely death. We understood what had happened, that he was assassinated in a railway depot,” explains one of his family members. “We studied the story in publications but, for various reasons, we just skimmed through it.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This transformed in 2011 with the release of a presidential biography, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's cut-short presidency. The publication has now resulted in a streaming series titled the presidential series, featuring an acclaimed actor as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the drifter who shot him.

The series promises to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the historical period only to succumb to its bitter partisan conflicts. His presidency was cut short after only 200 days not only by the assassin's bullet but by doctor errors – an event now mostly overlooked while the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and President Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and his approach and all the information about him the family carries down with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Presidency

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief raised in rustic conditions in the Midwest in 1831. His father died when he was very young, leaving his mom, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An insatiable reader, Garfield worked on canal boats to earn money for an formal learning.

He learned legal principles, was became a preacher, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he married a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have a large family. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a moral battle against forced servitude and advanced to the officer status.

“During my investigation, I was astonished. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was incredibly brave. He was ahead of his time for the time. He was compassionate. He was a good person and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he lived.”

Political Career and Shocking Selection

Garfield was convinced by the wartime leader to leave army service when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would serve as a Republican for multiple terms. He was dedicated proponent of black suffrage, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a wartime covenant.

“The address he delivered on the legislative arena will move you deeply. He was an impressive communicator and this matter was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a additional presidency for Ulysses S Grant, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a advocate of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began seeking a compromise. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a attendee unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a stampede of delegates made Garfield the shocking choice. To appease the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the general election Garfield beat the opposing candidate to become the unique incumbent of the House ever to be elected president.

Short Presidency and Power Struggles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is very unusual and maybe special for the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had completely dismissed it but he was pushed toward it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's limited administration was his confrontation with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the influential position of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He nominated a political foe of Conkling to the post.

The dispute became a open fight but Garfield defeated Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his colleague resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's candidate was ratified. It was a historic triumph for the power of the presidency over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “political control”.

The Gunman and His Mental Illness

But even as Garfield confronted influential people of his party, he was being stalked by a disturbed and delusional man who embodied the negative aspect of the political appointment process. The gunman was a drifter with a history of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a legal professional, bill collector, religious figure and member of a alternative community.

“He was psychologically disturbed and his unique form of delusion was fantasy. He always believed that God had chosen him for importance. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a way to accomplishment: politics. Caught up in the events of the 1880 election, he created and presented an insignificant speech, and became certain in his thoughts that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had merited a prestigious position. He went to the capital and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, insisting to be made the diplomatic representative — a role for which he had no experience. He became such a annoyance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Medical Malpractice

On 2 July 1881, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his college reunion. As he passed through the transportation center, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an weapon from his jacket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “What's happening?” and dropped on the station floor. When a {police officer|law